Police 101 . . . time to be included with Goodybag allowances?

[#1]

As gg now charge 15p per minute for calls using PAYG credit, isn't it time for gg to include calling 101 within the approved list of numbers that can be used with goodybag allowances?

calling 101 costs 15p per call, not per minute

[#2]

👍

[#3]

http://police.uk/contact

Alternative numbers which are included in the Goodybag

[#4]

k89bpa wrote:

http://police.uk/contact

Alternative numbers which are included in the Goodybag

yes I am aware of other numbers, but a lot of peeps only know of 101 but not their local numbers, and don't always have the patience to go searching or are unaware there are other alternatives

My point is that gg now charge 15p per min using PAYG, so why not also include 101 with allowances  if only charged at 15p per call? there is no extra cost to gg?

[#5]

Yes should be included definitely

[#6]

Maybe we just need to raise awareness of the alternative numbers and then it won't be an issue. We could perhaps have a section of the forum for such numbers, (084/087 numbers too).

[#7]

@exmember-2018-4735772.  Yes mate its a good idea. You should put the idea up in the labs. But make sure theres not already one on the go first

All the best

[#8]

You say that giffgaf now charge 15p to call 101 but in fact they've always charged it and will have to keep doing so because it's a mandatory charge.

We have the Home Office to thank for this but the way it works is that in effect,101 is a premium rate number with a flat fee of 15p that all providers both fixed line and mobile must charge.

The 15p goes to the company that run the 101 service (Vodafone I think) and then the police pay 5p per minute for the duration of the call to cover the rest of the costs.

Details of the charge here

https://www.police.uk/contact/101/

[#9]

What's really needed is for giffgaff to encourage people to keep a little airtime credit on their account, and not run with zero credit.

A smaller minimum topup, like £5 instead of £10.

Ability to add a small amount at the same time as a goodybag purchase.

The auto topup trigger level of £3 indicates what ought to be considered the minimum, but many people won't want to keep £13 sitting idle on their account.

[#10]

This subject has already been "done to death".

Giffgaff cannot include 101 in goodybags, because the company that operates the service requires a payment of 15p for it -- unlike other numbers in goodybags, which cost giffgaff almost nothing to connect to.

According to http://media.ofcom.org.uk/analysts/regulated-prices/ giffgaff must pay 0.503 pence per minute to connect to a non-giffgaff mobile. So if giffgaff is required to pay the police operator the full 15p then each call to 101 costs giffgaff the same as a 29.8 minute call to another mobile.

It's doubtful that giffgaff could charge for the call by deducting 29.8 minutes from a goodybag, even if it wanted to (and even if it had the technical capacity to implement it). According to https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q781.htm Calls to 101 will cost 15p, no matter how long the call, what time of day it is made or whether it is from a landline or mobile phone. So there seems to be no flexibility whatsoever -- calls to 101 must be charged, must be charged at 15p per call, not some other value and paying with an alternative currency (such as 29.8 goodybag minutes) might not conform to the police rules.